All Entries in the "CD Reviews" Category

CD REVIEW: TIM BASTMEYER’S ALL STAR BLUES BAND Independent April 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 7 ½ /10 Tim Bastmeyer’s potent Robert Johnson-inspired guitar playing is central to this all-star album of authentic Delta blues, and whilst his band are less-known to us in Australia, there’s little doubt of their cred: Juno Award winners Julian […]

CD REVIEW: PROFESSOR LOUIE and the CROWMATIX – Crowin’ The Blues Woodstock Records March 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 7/10 Professor Louie – whose boogie woogie blues keys and vocals make this album so vibrant – and the Crowmatix are the sort of old school blues band who’ll play anywhere – in their own words, […]

CD REVIEW: STEVE KOZAK BAND – It’s Time Independent March 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 7 ½ /10 “You only need three things to play the blues: a good guitar, and innate understanding of the music, and thirty years in which to do it,” says Steve Kozak’s press bio, and it’s something this well-travelled Canadian […]

CD REVIEW: THE DAHMERS – In The Dead Of Night Lovely Records April 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 9/10 The Dahmers hail from Sweden, and are enthralled by the marriage of horror and hard rock – not in an evil, church burning, black metal kind of way, though. No, this foursome of skeleton-adorned-onesie-clad damage cases […]

CD REVIEW: DEVIL M – Hollow Earth Dark Tunes April 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 7/10 Industro Anarcho metal with guitars that riff like evil machinery, keys that stab like shards of broken glass, and lyrics pointing to the downfall of modern society, Devil M’s world may seem pretty bleak to an outsider. Not so: […]

CD REVIEW: ZAC BROWN BAND – Welcome Home Elektra May 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 6/10 Zac Brown’s notoriety has spread far and wide since many of us first heard of his heartfelt country rock with a pop edge (think Bon Jovi if they gave a shit about anything other than making money… and with […]

Label: ALPHA DOG 2T/UMe Release Date: June 16, 2017 Rating: 8.5/10 Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur Styx went into new and familiar territory at the same time with their first release in 14 years… The Mission. This disc takes us back to the day of a disc that actually tells a cohesive story from first […]

CD REVIEW: THE CONNECTION – Just For Fun Rumbar Records February 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 7 ½ /10 The Connection pitch a kinghitter with their fourth album, Just For Fun, which does exactly what it says on the tin. Entering the studio late last year, The Connection set about having a blast, blasting out […]

CD REVIEW: KASABIAN – For Crying Out Loud Sony May 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 8/10 When Kasabian’s 2004 self-titled debut dropped, they presciently bridged the great divide between Oasis and electronic outfits such as The Prodigy, and foretold the new wave of dance rock, a la The Killers, Arctic Moneys et al. Now, on […]

CD REVIEW: Mikki Free – Tattoo Burn – Redux Mysterium Blues Records May 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 8/10 From the exalted superfunk soul power of opening track God Is On The Phone, through to the guitar supreme groove of There’s A Hole In The Heart Of The Blues and the simple family fun of […]

CD REVIEW: RAISED BY EAGLES – I Must Be Somewhere ABC Music May 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 7 ½ /10 Clearly acolytes of The Church of The Band (which is only ever a good thing), Raised By Eagles third album is a rambling, sprawling serve of pastorally inclined Americana, built at the place where […]

CD REVIEW: TED MULRY GANG – TMG Live Festival/Warner May 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 8/10 Since their fortieth anniversary last year – some sixteen years after Ted Mulry prematurely passed away after a bout with brain cancer, aged one day shy of only 54 – TMG are enjoying something of a revival and reappraisal, […]

CD REVIEW: TORRENTIAL THRILL – Nothing As It Seems Hellfire Records April 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 8/10 Weld together the high octane sex sleaze of prime era Motley Crue with the nuts and bolts arena pub sound of AC/DC, and detail this rawk machine with a hint of post grunge darkness, and you’ve got […]

CD REVIEW: GRAPHIC FICTION HEROES – Dreams Of A Libertine EP Independent May 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 9/10 Chris Gibbs – long a craftsman of songs in his native Western Australia – has no international smash hits to his name: a sad indictment of the sorry state of the music industry, rather than any […]

CD REVIEW: NIKKI LANE – Highway Queen New West Records/Warner February 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 8 ½ /10 I’m not saying Nikki is all things to all people, but it is difficult to imagine any fan of passionate songs not enjoying this album of fiery-spirited With a voice that boasts the wistful alt-dreaminess of […]

CD REVIEW: PURPENDICULAR – Venus To Volcanus Fastball Music May 2017 Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar 7 ½ /10 If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Purpendicular certainly aren’t shy about expressing their adoration of Deep Purple. Apparently a popular Deep Purple tribute act in Europe, they have nailed the ‘80s era sound of […]